Ribbon pleating and heat pressing device



A. BENZ Aug. 1, 1967 I RIBBON PLEATING AND HEAT PRESSING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 19,. 1965 v INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,333,559 RIBBON PLEATING AND HEAT PRESSING DEVICE Adolph Benz, 1808 W. Fredonia Ave, Peoria, ll]. 61606 Filed Jan. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 426,500 Claims. (Cl. 112-134) This invention relates to sewing equipment and more particularly to a novel mechanism attachable to ordinary sewing machines to perform pleating.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a pleating mechanism in a power operated sewing machine which is especially adapted for pleating material being advanced through the machine and for heating and ironing the pleated material.

It is another object of the invention to provide a pleating mechanism which includes a substantially horizontally reciprocable pusher element disposed adjacent the needle for engaging and pleating the material as the element is moved in a direction toward the needle and wherein there is provided an automatically movable plate for heating and ironing the pleated material.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a fragment of a sewing machine embodying the present invention, showing a circular cardboard base with a pleated and pressed ribbon sewed thereon,

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof, parts being omitted,

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view as seen from the line 33 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is an edge view as seen from the line 44 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale.

Referring now in detail to the various views of the drawings wherein similar reference numerals are used to indicate similar parts throughout, in FIG. 1 a fragment of a standard commercial sewing machine 10 is shown to which the pleating mechanism is applied. The machine is shown mounted on a table or work support 11 and includes a base plate 36, head 12 and overhanging arm 14. An upright housing 16 is formed integrally on the outer end of the overhanging arm 14 and operably supports a shiftable presser foot 18 and a vertically reciprocable needle 20 driven by suitable gear and linkage structure housed within the overhanging arm 14 and driven by suitable power means not shown.

The pleating mechanism includes an elongated substantially upright rocker arm 22 depending from a rotatable shaft 23 mounted in an extension 25 on the housing 16. The arm 22 has a bifurcated bottom end that supports a horizontal cross shaft 24. On shaft 24, there is mounted a pusher element 26 reciprocally mounted adjacent needle 20. The pusher element 26 is slotted at 27 to provide clearance for the needle 20. The machine also includes the usual shuttle and suitable material-advancing mechanism (not shown) deposed beneath the needle 20 suitably driven by power means and operably correlated with reciprocation of needle 20 to advance the material 28 through the machine '10 at a speed dependent upon the rate of reciprocation of needle 20. The pusher element 26 is disposed for movement in a direction in alignment with movement of the material which is in the form of a ribbon 3,333,559 I Patented Aug. 1, 1967 28 fed from a spool (not shown) and passing over a guide roller 30 journalled in a bracket 32 fastened to the edge of table 11.

In accordance with the present invention, apparatus is provided for heating and ironing the pleatsas they are formed by the pleating mechanism. This apparatus includes a metal base plate 36 suitably secured to the top surface of table 11. Plate 36 is substantially rectangular in shape with one long edge cut away forming a substantially V-shaped notch 38, which notch provides clearance for the presser foot 18 of the sewing machine. Another plate 40 is adjustably and movably mounted on plate 36 in superimposed relation thereon by means of spaced clamping devices 42. Each clamping device consists of an elongated spring plate 44 fastened to the base plate 36 by means of a rivet 46. The plane of the body of the plate 44 is offset from the plane of the attached end thereof. One end of plate 44 is formed with a smooth hole to receive a headed screw 47 extending through aligned threaded holes in the heating plate 40' and base plate 36 as shown in FIG. 6 whereby the heating plate is clamped to the base plate. Plate 40 is substantially rectangular and is disposed transversely of plate 36 adjacent one end thereof. One end of plate 40 is substantially in alignment with the notched long edge of the plate 36 and is formed with a substantially similarly shaped notch 48 in said end. A lateral plate-like extension 50 is formed integrally with the plate 40 at one corner of its notched end, the plate extending endwise and laterally of the body of the plate 40 so that it is positioned adjacent to and in front of the needle 20 and presser foot 18 of the sewing machine as shown in FIG. 1. The extension 50 serves as a guide for guiding the movement of the ribbon 28 over the pusher element 26 and under the presser foot 18.

Heating apparatus is also provided for heating plate 40; Such apparatus comprises a flat horizontally disposed bar 52 upon one end of which is formed an enlarged head 54 housing an electric heating coil 56. The coil is connected by conductors 58, 58 to a source of electric motive force. Bar 52 is fixed intermediate its ends to one end of a fiat horizontally disposed bar lever 57 which lever bar is hingedly mounted by means of a hinge joint 59 intermediate its ends on a fulcrum block 60 mounted on and fastened to the top of table 11 adjacent the head 12 of the sewing machine. The lever 57 is closely spaced from the table top. The block supports the lever bar 57 and supported bar 52 and heating head 54 above and closely spaced from the top surface of the table 11, the heating head being loosely seated flatwise on the plate 40 in order to heat the plate. The heating head 54 is frame pressed against the top surface of the heat plate 40 by means of a fiat bar 62 similar in shape to bar 52 and super-imposed thereover in spaced relation with one end seated on the heating head 54. In order to clear the heating head 54 from engagement with heat plate 40, the lever 57 is manually operated by depressing the the opposite end thereof as illustrated in FIG. I. The other end of the bar 62 is slidably mounted on an upright pin 64 around which is sleeved a coil spring 66 upon which the adjacent end of bar 62 rests. At the other end of bar 62 outwardly of its seat on heating head 54 there is a hole 68 through which a bolt 70 extends loosely carrying a knurled knob 72 at its outer top end. The other end of the bolt is threaded and extends loosely through a hole 74 in the bar 52 adjacent the heating head and extends through a threaded hole 76 on base plate 36. A coil spring 78 is sleeved around the bolt above the bar 62 having one end seated on the bar 62 and its other end impinging against the knob 72. Pressure of the bar 62 on heating head 54 can thus be adjusted by turning the bolt 70 and compressing the springs 66 and 78, the spring 78 upon compression by the knob 72 pushing bar 62 downwardly.

The pleated ribbon 80 is shown stitched to the peripheral edge 82 of a circular solid cardboard disc serving as a base 84 by a line of stitching 86. The base 84 is formed with a central hole .87 and is place over an elongated rectangular shaped plate 88 formed with a series of spaced holes 90 centrally thereof secured to the top of the table 11. A removable pin 92 is mounted in a selected hole and is adapted to be received in the central hole 87 in the base 84 for centering various sizes of bases 84 so that the peripheral edge thereof will be positioned over the shuttle of the sewing machine as shown in FIG. 1. The ribbon advancing mechanism (not shown) turns the base 84 on pin 92 simultaneously with the advance movement of the ribbon.

In operation, the heating head 54 is automatically lowered into contact with the top of the heating plate 40 by action of the spring 78. The presser foot 18 of the sewing machine is raised through suitable mechanism (not shown) to permit the peripheral edge 82 of the cardboard base 84 with the end of ribbon 28 thereover to be placed in position beneath the presser foot 18 and needle 20 and over the material-advancing mechanism. Then presser foot 18 is lowered into engagement with ribbon 28 whereupon the ribbon is in position for sewing onto the base 84 and for pleating.

Inward movement of pusher element 26 through the action of arm 22 and shaft 23 will cause the element to engage the bottom surface of the ribbon 28, pushing the ribbon between the edge of guide extension 50 and the.

base plate 36 at a faster speed than the rate of feed of the sewing machine and consequently forms the fold 80 shown in FIG. 1, and at the same time the heating plate 40 heats the ribbon and presses and irons the fold down fiat as seen in FIG. 1. Insertion of the pusher element 26 between the heating plate 40 and the base plate 36 lifts the heating plate against the action of the clamping device 42 as illustrated in FIG. 5.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sewing machine having a shuttle, a presser foot and pleating mechanism, apparatus associated with said mechanism for heating and ironing the pleats formed by said pleating mechanism including a base plate having a notch along one edge thereof to provide clearance for the presser foot, a heating plate movably clamped to said base plate and superimposed over said base plate and over the pleats formed by said pleating mechanism, said heating plate having a notch to provide clearance for said presser foot, a bar pivotally mounted adjacent said heating plate and a heater carried at one end of said bar in superimposed relation over the heating plate and means for heating said heater.

2. In a sewing machine having a shuttle, a presser foot,

7 and pleating mechanism, apparatus associated with said heater carried at one end of said bar, said heater including an electric coil and conductors for connecting said coil to a source of electric motive power, a lateral extension on said heating plate along one side edge thereof, said extension -being disposed at an angle to the plane of the body of the plate for guiding material to the shuttle.

3. In a sewing machine in combination with a table and a horizontal supporting surface on said table, said machine having pleating mechanism, apparatus associated with said mechanism for heating and ironing the pleats formed by said pleating mechanism, including a base plate, a heating plate movably clamped to said base plate and superimposed over said base plate and over the pleats formed by said pleating mechanism, a bar hingedly mounted adjacent said plate and a heater carried at one end of said hinged bar, said heater including an electric coil and conductors for connecting said coil to a source of electric motive power, the mounting of said hinged bar including a block secured to the horizontal supporting surface of the table, a manually movable lever bar hingedly connected to and supported midway its ends by said block, said lever bar being secured at one end to the hinged bar, the free end of the lever bar serving as means for tilting the lever bar.

4. A sewing machine having a pleating mechanism as described in claim 3, and means for adjusting the pressure of the heater upon the heating plate including a bar movably and resiliently mounted on the hinged bar, one end of said resiliently mounted bar being engageable with the.

heater.

5. In a sewing machine in combination with a table and a horizontal supporting surface on said table, said ma-- chine having pleating mechanism, apparatus associated with said mechanism for heating'and ironing the pleats formed by said pleating mechanism, including a base plate, a heating plate movably clamped to said base plate and superimposed over said base plate and over the pleats formed by said pleating mechanism, a bar hingedly mounted adjacent said plate and a heater carried at one end of said hinged bar,.said heater including an electric coil and conductors for connecting said coil to a source of electric motive power, the mounting of said hinged bar including a block secured to the horizontal supporting surface of the table, a manually movable lever bar hingedly connected to and supported midway its ends by said block, said lever bar being secured at one end to'the hinged bar,

the free end of the lever bar serving as means for tilting the lever bar, and means for adjusting the pressure of the heater upon the heating plate including a bar movably and resiliently mounted on the pivotal bar, one end of said resiliently mounted bar being engageable with the heater, and the means for resiliently mounting said movable bar including spring means for adjusting the pressure of said engageable end upon the heater.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 53,633 4/1866 Knox et al. 223-32 1,799,132 3/1931 Gardner 112-217 2,055,470 9/1936 Anderson et a1 l122l7 2,955,554 10/1960 Harris 112-217 3,040,683 6/1962 Sayles ll2-l34 3,205,854 9/1965 Lyons 22330 X 3,246,617 4/1966 Korioth l12217 X JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

H. H. HUNTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SEWING MACHINE HAVING A SHUTTLE, A PRESSER FOOT AND PLEATING MECHANISM, APPARATUS ASSOCIATED WITHS SAID MECHANISM FOR HEATING AND IRONING THE PLEATS FORMED BY SAID PLEATING MECHANISM INCLUDING A BASE PLATE HAVING A NOTCH ALONG ONE EDGE THEREOF TO PROVIDE CLEARANCE FOR THE PRESSER FOOT, A HEATING PLATE MOVABLY CLAMPED TO SAID BASE PLATE AND SUPERIMPOSED OVER SAID BASE PLATE AND OVER THE PLEATS FORMED BY SAID PLEATING MECHANISM, SAID HEATING PLATE HAVING A NOTCH TO PROVIDE CLEARANCE FOR SAID PRESSER FOOT, A BAR PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID HEATING PLATE AND A HEATER CARRIED AT ONE END OF AID BAR IN SUPERIMPOSED RELATION OVER THE HEATING PLATE AND MEANS FOR HEATING SAID HEATER. 